Morning Glory Smoothie with Quinoa (Gluten-Free & Vegan)

Be honest. Are your mornings glorious these days? Mine definitely aren’t. They usually start around 6:15AM, when Owen appears at my side of the bed asking 1) if he can watch TV, and 2) if he can have something totally inappropriate for breakfast, like M&Ms or Cheez-Its. I steel myself and tell him the answer is no on both accounts, and then he has a tantrum. After that, I chase him around his room trying to take off his overnight diaper and put on his underpants, so we don’t backslide into not potty-trained.

This is all before I’ve had a single sip of coffee. (Ahem, I totally failed at this, if you are wondering.)

When we are finally ready to leave the house, I bribe him into the car with Jake and The Neverland Pirate stickers, and then drop him at daycare. Sometimes this is a smooth transition, but others time it involves lots of stalling, foot dragging, and attempting to bring random objects from the car inside to “show his teacher,” like an old blanket, a CD without a case, or his pacifier (please, please don’t lecture me. We are trying to get rid of it).

After that, I hit the gym or go for a five- or six-mile trail run along the Hudson River. I think it pretty much goes without saying that by the time I get home I am completely starving.

One of my new favorite ways to refuel is with quinoa–for breakfast!

Quinoa, which is technically a seed, is one of the only plant-based foods that is a complete protein. I was never particularly concerned with what brand I used until I tried Village Harvest, but now I’m totally hooked. It has a really rich, earthy, almost nutty flavor that I love. It’s also ethically-sourced, and Village Harvest donates 1% of their profits to programs that give back to the farmers and communities from which they source their products, and 1% of their employee’s time to charitable causes and sustainability efforts. You can search for their products in your area here.

I like to cook a big batch of quinoa on Sundays and then stash it in the fridge to use throughout the week. For breakfast, I stir it into yogurt in place of granola or cereal, or I use it to make smoothies, like this. ↓↓↓

All the flavors of a morning glory muffin in a gluten-free, vegan smoothie you can feel great about slurping down any day of the week. Banana, pineapple, carrot, and quinoa form the base. Then pinches of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger for spice. Blend it up with almond milk and ice, and top it with a shower of toasted coconut, a few raisins, and some chopped walnuts.

I especially love that the pineapple and coconut give this smoothie a bit of a tropical feel. It sounds like there is a big snowstorm brewing on the East Coast this weekend, so I’ll take any little burst of sunshine I can get.

I’m feeling a little more glorious already.

Morning Glory Smoothie with Quinoa

2016-01-20 00:57:15

Serves 1

Quinoa helps to thicken this smoothie and gives it great texture--not to mention a healthy dose of plant-based protein!

Combine the banana, carrots, pineapple, quinoa, spices, almond milk, and ice in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and top with the coconut, raisins, and walnuts.

Notes

I had a bit of trouble calculating the nutrition information for this recipe, because the tool I use doesn't recognize unsweetened almond milk. But I did the math myself, and this smoothie has about 305 calories.

By Turnip the Oven

Turnip the Oven http://turniptheoven.com/

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Oh man. Mornings. I’m pretty sure mornings and I haven’t been on speaking terms for years, let alone have anything that could be qualified as a “glorious” relationship. Nope. So much nope. But this divine smoothie sure looks like it could sweeten things up between mornings and I! 😀

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Welcome!

Hi! I'm Lucy. Turnip the Oven is my vegetable-focused food blog, but sometimes I'm sidetracked by dessert. My recipes are simple and approachable, and I use fresh, seasonal ingredients. I hope I inspire you to eat more plants…and cookies.